Protective hard hat and welder's hood

Abstract

A protective face and head apparel especially suited to the occupational needs of welders, the invention particularly comprises a hard hat with a scalloped lower edge and a head band assembly which includes an elastically deformable band for adjusting the fit of the head band assembly to the head of a user. A welder's hood or face shield is pivotally and resiliently supported from the hard hat with the pivot axis being related to the hard hat and hood so that the hood will be more evenly balanced above the head when pivoted upwardly to a generally horizontal position.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 
     
       1. Head protective apparatus, comprising: hat means for fitting over at least the external upper portions of the cranium of a wearer, the hat means being formed of a substantially rigid, protective material;   suspension mounting means attached to interior surfaces of the hat means for mounting the hat means on the head of a wearer, the suspension mounting means including an annular bandlike strap means which is discontinuous along a portion thereof, ends of the strap means at the discontinuous portion being spaced apart; and,   an elastically deformable band disposed between the spaced ends of the strap means and adjustably connected thereto to lengthen and shorten that portion of the band lying between said spaced ends, the spaced ends of the strap means and the deformable band held therebetween being disposed outwardly of the hat means and exposed to be grasped at one end of the deformable band for adjustment of the fit of the suspension mounting means on the head of the wearer.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the spaced ends of the strap means has a single hole formed therein, the band being received within the holes and held therein. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the holes are of a diameter slightly smaller than the effective diameter of the band. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hat means includes scalloped portions cut away from the body of the hat means along lower peripheral edges thereof, at least one of the scalloped portions surmounting the spaced ends of the strap means and the deformable band held therebetween to allow convenient access thereto. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising mounting tongues affixed to the hat means and disposed immediately above the lower peripheral edges of the hat means on opposite sides thereof, the apparatus further comprising face shield means constructed to receive and encompass the front and forward portions of the lateral sides of the hat means, upper interior wall portions of said shield means encompassing said hat means having means pivotally connected to the mounting tongues to enable pivotal movement of the face shield means from a vertical working position to a horizontal position surmounting the hat means. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the mounting tongues extend downwardly at an angle from the lateral surfaces of the hat means, lower portions of the tongues being spaced from said surfaces of the hat means. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tongues have apertures formed in the lower portions thereof which are spaced from the lateral surfaces of the hat means, and wherein the face shield means have apertures formed in each upper side thereof, the apparatus further comprising a bolt insertable through each pair of apertures in each tongue and in each side of the shield and a nut mating with each bolt to pivotally hold the shield onto the hat means. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the band comprises a length of hollow tubing formed of a material which is elastically deformable both longitudinally and transversely of its length. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the band comprises a solid length of a material which is elastically deformable both longitudinally and transversely of its length. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the strap means is discontinuous only at one portion thereof, the strap means being discontinuous at the rear of the suspension mounting means.